Automobile Basics and Workshop Safety
This domain tests whether you can identify a vehicle's main assemblies and apply safe working practice in a garage. Questions often mix layout names, fire-fighting choices and lifting rules.
Vehicle basics
- Main assemblies: engine, clutch, gearbox, propeller shaft, differential, axles, suspension, steering, brakes, electrical system and body or chassis.
- Layout codes: FF means front engine, front-wheel drive; FR means front engine, rear-wheel drive; RR means rear engine, rear-wheel drive.
- The chassis carries the load; the body covers and protects occupants. A monocoque body combines both functions.
Workshop safety rules
- Wear safety shoes, goggles and gloves; remove rings, watches and loose clothing near belts, fans and shafts.
- A jack lifts; axle stands support. Never work under a vehicle held only by a hydraulic jack.
- Petrol is a Class B flammable liquid. Use foam, CO2 or dry powder, never water.
- Carbon monoxide is odourless. Never run an engine in a closed room.
- Disconnect the battery before work on fuel or electrical circuits, and keep a first-aid box and fire extinguisher accessible.
Worked example
A small petrol fire starts beside a bench. Water is wrong because burning petrol floats and spreads. CO2 or dry powder smothers the flame and is safe near live electrical equipment. The correct sequence is: raise the alarm, switch off power, use the nearest suitable extinguisher, and evacuate if the fire grows.
Traps
- Choosing water because it is common and cheap.
- Treating the hydraulic jack as a support.
- Forgetting extinguisher colour codes: water red, foam cream, CO2 black, dry powder blue.
- Assuming a running engine in a closed workshop is safe because the door is open.